Problem Child
by WritingGirl92
Summary: Carlisle and Esme are having difficulties with their nephew, Edward. Set in the 1920's. Contain disciplinary spanking, If you don't like, don't read!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga**

 **Hey guys, so if you follow me you'll probably recognized that this is the exact same story as Our Brat. I deleted Our Brat and am replacing it with Problem Child to eliminate a hateful review. I'll add all the old chapters tonight and a new one soon!  
**

 **A/N: Contains disciplinary spanking. If you don't like, don't read!**

"I hate it here! You're so unfair!" My sixteen year old nephew screams as he stomps through our home. His bedroom door slams shut, and after a few seconds of silence, I let out the breath I was holding. At least he isn't throwing things this time.

"Carlisle, you need to go take care of that behavior." My wife Esme says with anger in her eyes.

The stress amongst my little family has grown tremendously. My nephew Edward has always been headstrong and stubborn, but it has increased lately. He's been behaving worse than ever before. When Edward first came to live with us, he was twelve years old. His parents, my brother and sister-in-law, were just hospitalized for a horrible bout of the flu and asked Esme and I to look after their beloved son. Of course we welcomed him into our home with open arms. From a young age, Edward was intelligent and sly. His father, Edward Senior, loved this about his son and did everything he could to encourage Edward Junior to keep that frame of mind. Although it created a unique and creative thinker, it also created a sneaky troublemaker. When he was little, this sneakiness was 'cute' in his parents eyes. They saw nothing harmful in his attempts to get into the candy they limited him on or his manipulative behavior to get a new toy or a special privilege from Edward Senior. I'm sure my brother had no idea that he was setting his boy up to be the way he is now.

His parents passed away two weeks after Edward moved in with us. The day before they died, Esme caught Edward in the middle of stealing coins from our room, and he proceeded to lie about it when she questioned him. When I returned home from work, he was standing in the corner, waiting for me. Esme took me aside and explained what happened. When I called Edward over to me, he lied again. He got a spanking from me that day. Edward Senior rarely spanked his boy, and when he did, it was just one quick swat, so Edward was shocked when his trousers came down and he was bent over my knee for a real spanking. Once we were done, Edward was in tears with a red hind end, and after a hug and some quick comfort from both Esme and I, he was forgiven and we went on with our day without any more trouble from him. That was the last time he was spanked by me, but it definitely was not the last time he deserved to be spanked.

The next day was hard on him as we had to tell him about his parents death. His brown eyes were full of tears for days after, and it killed me to see him upset. I love my nephew as I would my own child, and to see him so distraught just torn my heart to pieces.

"He's just angry. I'm sure he had a rough day." I respond quickly, hoping to discern the thought I know is in her head.

"Bad day or not, Edward has no right to act like that!"

"Honey, let us all cool down before we do anything." I compromise. She shakes her head.

"That boy needs to get his rear end lit up." She says firmly.

"Esme," I sigh. She's been telling me that for years now.

"This behavior is ridiculous! He has no excuse for going off like that. I'll tell you what, Carlisle. If you don't put an end to this behavior, then I will."

I sigh. If she had her way, she would have taken a belt to Edward's rear years ago. I refuse to let her, though. She'll give him a swat or two every now and then, but I fear that if she goes to truly discipline him, he will just over power her. He's always had a hard time holding his temper, and for the past few months he has taken to throwing things when he's angry. I refuse to let my wife be put in his path of anger.

"I'll talk to him, Esme, and I'll get this straightened out." I promise.

"You need to pull him over your knee, then talk." She says. "It's the only way to get his attention. If you don't, he won't listen to a word you say."

I wait a moment before admitting defeat. I nod slightly.

"I'll take care of it."

oOoOo

"Edward," I say and push his door open. Laying on his stomach atop his quilt-covered bed, he looks up from his book at me.

"Yes?"

"We need to talk, son."

"About?" He asks as I walk in. When I sit on the edge of his bed, he shuts the book and eyes me suspiciously.

"Your behavior. Your actions today were unacceptable. I'm sorry, Edward, but you have to be punished."

"No!" He flies up into a sitting position. It amazes me how he instantly knows what punishment I'm speaking of. "Carlisle, you can't!"

"I'm sorry, Edward, but you've brought it on yourself." I sigh and stand from the bed.

"I didn't mean it!" He protests.

"Either stand up or lay back down on your stomach." I instruct.

Edward looks up at me with those big brown eyes. They fill up with tears, and he looks just like a scared, broken little boy. It pulls at me heart and I start to doubt if he really deserves to be spanked.

"My Dad never hit me." He whispers in a sad voice as he scoots off the bed and stands right where I need him to be.

That does it for me. There's no way I can do this.

I pull my hand back only a few inches from the seat his pants, and the smack that comes down is only about as hard as a pat on the back.

I wrap one arm around his shoulder and pull him closer to my side. He's tears slowly start to escape. I know they're not coming from the actually spanking, but I still feel horrible for putting those tears in his eyes.

"Let's go get a milkshake. What do you say?" I ask with a squeeze of his shoulders. He nods and looks to the ground.

"My dad always took me to get milkshakes."

"Get your jacket. I'll be waiting in the car." I say and pat his back before leaving his room. Halfway down the hall, I turn back around to tell him that the next time he acts so outrageously, he will be getting a real whooping. As I peer into the doorway, I see him wiping away his tears and smirking.

The boy can play me like a fiddle, and he knows it.

 **So what do you think? Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

"So I met this girl at the book store yesterday." Edward says with a big smile as he and Esme dance throughout the living room to the music from the radio.

"Oh yeah?" Esme smiles.

"She's beautiful. Beautiful and smart. Her eyes are perfect, and she's spunky." He tells her. I hold back a chuckle. For Edward to say a girl is smart and beautiful is rare. And she must be a real spitfire if our Edward is calling her spunky. "I think I'm going to ask her out one day."

"You've just met her, Edward. Don't let her run away with your heart." Esme cautions him. He spins her under his arm.

"Esme, we even like the same books. She's not running away." He says with a smile.

The song ends and Esme is able to break away from Edward. He decides to settle down on the couch and flip through my new book. Esme comes over to me.

"How long do you think it will be until he crashes?" She asks in a whisper.

"I'll give it a half hour." I respond back in a low voice.

"Really? I'm leaning more towards fifteen minutes or less."

"No way. He's still bouncing off the walls." I gesture over to Edward. His posture is ridged and his feet tap wildly on the floor.

Once Edward and I arrived at the diner, he caught sight of a ice cream sundae. He used his brown eyes and child-like face against me again, and I agreed to let him have one. And, of course, he had to have a soda as well. There's reasons that he only gets so much sugar in one setting, and we were seeing it now. The boy gets full of energy, and gets into everything. I was hoping to finish that book myself before Edward got his nose into it. I won't get it back until he's done reading it if he likes it.

"Fifteen minutes or less." Esme repeats herself.

We join Edward on the couch and start discussing my work, but we both keep an eye on Edward. After a few minutes, he pulls his feet on the couch. He shifts his position so his legs are stretched to one end of the couch and his head rests on the arm on the other end. He keeps the book open and continues to look through it. In another few minutes, he's struggling to keep his eyes open. Soon, the book is sat on his chest and he's snoring. I glance at the clock.

"Fourteen minutes." I sigh. Esme smiles at me.

"I know my boy." She says, but her smile soon fades to a frown. "I know my husband to. You did nothing about his fit today, did you?"

I don't say anything. Instead, I stand from the couch and go to the hall to get Edward a blanket from the closet. Esme follows.

"Carlisle, are you serious? You let that boy get away with everything!" She complains.

"Esme, he was crying." I tell her. She scoffs and shakes her head.

"Have you not noticed that Edward is the king of phony tears? He's been like that from day one! That's how he got his way with Edward Senior."

I don't say anything, because I honestly can't say anything. She's right. He always did the same thing to his father. Snatching the blanket from the top shelf, I shut the closet door and head back to the living room.

"His behavior is not getting any better, Carlisle, and it won't unless someone puts their foot down!"

"He understands that he was wrong." I promise.

"Every time you put it off, it's just getting worse."

I shake my head. Once we enter the living room, I drape the blanket over Edward. Esme stands by me, and we both look down at our sleeping nephew.

"Edward Senior never whooped him. It would break Junior's heart if I did." I say in a whisper. Esme sighs.

"It's been four years since Senior died, Carlisle."

"But he wouldn't spank him if he was still here."

"I think you brother would be singing a different tune about his boy if he were here to see Edward screaming at us today, or see the dish Edward shattered last week when he was angry. Do you realize how out of control this is getting to be?" She asks me, a look of worry on her face.

"It's not out of control." I tell her.

"Four dishes, a pair of shoes, three books, and a hairbrush."

I raise a questioning brow at her.

"That's everything he's thrown in a fit of anger so far."

I sigh as I take it all in. When she lays it out like that, I can't deny that it is getting out of control. It's easy for me to look over one individual fit and what happened, but clumping them all together truly shows how serious this is getting.

"Three of the four dishes broke. There's a dent in the wall from the hairbrush." She sighs. "Carlisle, I know you love him. I love him, too. But this is not okay."

"I know." I admit quietly.

"Something has to be done." She pats my shoulder, then turns and leaves the living room without another word.

I grab the book off of Edward's chest and find the page I was last on. I try reading, but my eyes keep leaving the page and looking over at Edward.

He is not going to be happy when he realizes the consequences around this home are changing.

 **So, any guesses of what's to come? Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

As I pour myself a cup of water at the hospital, I groan and rub my forehead. It's a slow day here, but I'm still exhausted. Dr. Anderson chuckles at me.

"What's wrong, Cullen?" He asks.

"I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Was it Edward keeping you up?"

I nod. Dr. Anderson has a boy that's Edward's age, and they're friends. His son, Harris, is a bit of a trouble maker, but honestly, Edward is the one who guides Harris to trouble. Dr. Anderson is always making jokes about our boys behavior, but I know it drives him crazy that Edward isn't punished like Harris is when they get into trouble. I always told myself that it's not my fault that his kid falls into peer pressure.

"He's been acting out lately, and I have to put a stop to this before it gets worse." I explain.

"Oh, so you're finally going to have to punish your little prince?" He laughs.

"Looks like it."

"From what you've told me about how that prince of yours acts, he is way overdue for some discipline."

"It's a little more complicated than that."

"How so?"

I held back a scoff. Does he not see it? First, I'm not Edward's father. I'm his uncle. It should be the father who is the disciplinarian. That brings me to the next problem. Edward Senior had his own unique way of handling his boy, and Junior won't accept any other way without a fight. And, of course, Dr. Anderson had no idea what my nephew means to me. I can't do a thing when he starts crying. I can't stand to see him like that.

"I think it's you who makes it more complicated, Carlisle." He says. I shake my head. "It's all you, my friend."

* * *

I sigh as I pull into my driveway. The lights cast a warm and inviting glow through the windows, illuminating Esme's well cared for flower bed. The lawn wasn't cut, though. It was the only chore Edward had today, but it didn't get done. I don't want to argue with him about it tonight. His most likely already in his room for the night, getting through a few chapters of his current book before going to sleep.

I park the car, grab what I need out of it and head into my home. I had hopes that it would be just as peaceful on the inside as it is on the out, but what I see is far from peaceful.

"You stupid bitch!" Edward hisses in Esme's face. He has her pinned to the wall in the hallway by her wrists, his face only a few inches away from hers. His hands are bigger than her wrists, but I can see where her skin is being pinched together due to how hard he's holding into her. She looks absolutely terrified. Edward's face is bright red

"Edward! Let her go!" I demand and quickly go over to him. I grab his wrists, switching his attention from Esme to me.

"Fuck off! This isn't about you!" He growls. I shake my head.

"It is now, Edward." I tell him. He drops Esme's wrists and steps into my chest.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

 **Another short chapter. What do you think is going to happen? Any predictions? Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

"You're going to go to your room, shut the door quietly, and wait there for me to come deal with you." I tell my angry nephew. I try to stay calm, but it's a challenge.

"For you to deal with me? What the hell does that mean?" Edward yells as he steps closer to me.

"It means you're going to be punished. Now go!" I point down the hall. He puts his hands on my shoulders and pushes backwards. I stay were I am, which just makes him even more upset. He tries to push me again, but still it doesn't work. Before he can try a third time, I grab his wrists.

"Let me go!" He screams and stomps on my foot. It takes everything I have to let go of his wrists in reaction to his stomp.

"When I let go of you, you are to go to your room. Understand?" I ask. Instead of responding, he scowls at me. I drop his wrists anyways. "Go, Edward."

"Fuck you!" He yells and pushes my shoulders again. "Fuck-"

Before he can finish the word, I grab his arm and spin him around. I don't hesitate with smacking his rear end. As soon as the first swat makes contact with the seat of his jeans, he yelps and tries to pull away from me.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" He says quickly, his tone changing to an innocent plea. For a quick second he has me pulled into his fake cry, but I remind myself about the scene I walked in on. "Carlisle, I'm sorry!"

"You do _not_ act like this!" I tell him. I pull my arm back again, but he throws his hand over his rear.

"Stop!" Edward yells and spins around, the sweet little boy act over. I still keep my grip on his arm. "God dammit, Carlisle!"

"This behavior of yours is unacceptable! You will _not_ put your hands on Esme!"

"Fuck you, Carlisle!"

"Don't curse at me, young man!"

"I hate you!"

"Go to your room. Now." I command and release his arm.

Instead of doing what I told him, Edward takes a step closer to me. Before he has the chance to push or yell, I spin him around again and land one hard smack on his bottom. He jumps away from me.

"I hate you!" He screams and stomps off to his room. I watch him slam the door harder than ever before. I sigh and turn to Esme, who's still against the wall, looking terrified.

"Are you okay, honey?" I ask. She nods yes. "What happened?"

"He came home and was angry. Something must have happened in his class today. He wouldn't tell me what's wrong." She explains and starts to cry. "He was being mean, hateful, and I told him his father wouldn't be proud of his behavior. That's when he blew up."

I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into a hug. She rests her forehead on my shoulder as she cries. I pray that she doesn't have bruises on her wrist from Edward's hands. I sigh and hold her tighter.

How did we let this get so out of hand?

 **Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

"Explain yourself, Edward." I say as I lean against his doorframe. He's laying on his stomach on his bed with his head buried in his pillow.

"No!"

"Edward," I sigh and walk in. "We have to talk about this."

"Leave me alone!"

"You know better than to put your hands on Esme."

"You didn't hear what she said to me!"

"Then explain to me what happened so I understand." I tell him and sit on the edge of his bed. I rub his shoulder, but he yanks away from my touch.

"She had the nerve to say my father wouldn't be proud of me!" He says as he sits up. His face is twisted with anger. "She has no right to say anything about my father!"

"She said he wouldn't be proud of you?" I ask calmly. I know Esme wouldn't lie to me, and I have a feeling Edward took 'he wouldn't be proud of your behavior' as 'he wouldn't be proud of you'. "Start from the beginning. How did this all happen?"

"I came home, she was annoying me, and she told me that my father wouldn't be proud of me." He spits out angrily.

"A little more detail, please."

"That's all there is!" Edward huffs and jumps to his feet. He starts pacing around his room.

"What was she doing to annoy you?"

"I was just annoyed, okay?"

He keeps pacing, his fists clenching and unclenching as he does. He angrily mumbles to himself.

"Edward, I think there was a misunderstanding about what Esme said to you." I say.

Edward snaps his head up and glares at me with his fire like angry eyes.

"I know what she said! I'm not deaf!"

"Did she say you father wouldn't be proud of you, or proud of your behavior?"

His angry look softens just slightly, but it quickly returns to the bitter look he wears so often.

"It doesn't matter!"

"Actually, it does. Saying your father isn't proud of you is completely unacceptable and untrue. You're an intelligent, handsome young man. Edward Senior would be so proud of you. But your behavior is not something he would be proud of. He would be very disappointed if he knew you grabbed Esme and pinned her to the wall like you did today."

"Shut the hell up!" He yells at me.

"But the thing is, you can change your behavior." I say. Edward shakes his head.

"Edward, honey," I hear Esme say in a soft, quiet voice. I look over to see her in the doorway.

"Go away!" Edward yells at her.

"Sweetie, let's talk about this, please."

Edward doesn't respond verbally. Instead, he snatches a book off of his bookshelf and chucks it at Esme. As soon as I realize what he's doing, I jump up and grab his arms, hoping to stop him. I'm too late, though. Luckily, Esme thinks quickly and jumps out of the way.

"Let me go!" Edward screams as he tries to yank away from me. I keep my hold on him strong and pull him over towards the bed.

"You've done it now, son." I tell him.

When we reach the bed, I sit down and pull him over my lap. He must remember what happened when he was twelve and was in this position, because he kicks and twist to try to get away from me. I pin his legs between mine, and it eliminates the effectiveness of his struggle.

"You can't do this to me!" He yells.

"Let's get something straight, Edward." I say and start whooping his tail end. "I am your guardian, meaning it is my job to teach you right from wrong. To do that, you must be punished for your wrongdoings. So yes, I can do this to you."

"Stop!" He starts to cry and he throws his hand over his rear.

"Move your hand, Edward."

"No!"

"Move your hand or you're going to get a belt taken to you!" I warn him.

"You wouldn't dare." He growls.

I grab his shoulders and pull his torso upright, but still keep my legs around his.

"Take your belt off." I tell him.

He eyes me suspiciously as tears run down his cheeks, most likely trying to judge if I am bluffing or not. He sniffs and wipes his eyes before reaching down to undo his belt. More tears overflow from his eyes as he pulls the thin piece of leather from his belt loops.

"My Dad never did this to me." He whispers just loud enough for me to hear before he leans back over my knee. I glance down at his face, only to see that cocky smirk he though I wasn't seeing.


	6. Chapter 6

"Get out of my room!" Edward cries angrily and throws a pillow at the opposite wall.

"Do you want to go another round?" I ask firmly. He shakes his head no. "Then get that pillow, put it where it belongs and don't throw it again. It's time you learn how to behave."

"Just get out of my room! I don't want to talk to you!" He clenches his fists and stays where he is. I take a few steps towards him, grab his arm, pull him forwards slightly and smack his bottom three times. He yelps and jumps away from me.

"Do what I told you without the backtalk." I say. He wipes his eyes with the back of his hand as he stomps over to the pillow. As he marches back to his bed, I start lecturing. "From now on, Edward, you can expect punishments when you misbehave. You are too old to be throwing tantrums. This disrespect ends today. You are a young man now and it's time to act like it."

Edward looks at me with those big, teary eyes that make my heart break, but I know I can't back down. He's gone too far this time, and I can't let him avoid the consequences.

"I hate punishing you, but this has to end." I tell him.

He lays on his bed, stomach down, and buries his head into the pillow. I sigh, tell him that when he's ready to behave to come find me so we can have a talk, then leave his room.

* * *

"Carlisle?" Edward's voice pulls my attention from the bills on my desk. He peers into my office nervously.

"Are you ready to talk?" I ask. I expect him to say yes, so it's shocking when he shakes his head no. I raise my eyebrows. "No?"

"Could you take me to the cemetery?" He asks in a shaky voice. "I need to see my folks."

"Yes, of course." I respond quickly and jump from my seat. "Go get your shoes on. We'll leave right now. And grab a coat. It's chilly out."

He nods and walks away. Although I've never denied him a visit to the cemetery, he hasn't asked to go in at least a year.

I grab my coat and hat from the hooks on the wall and hurry out of the office. Edward has his coat in one hand and his shoes on, but is staring into the living room at Esme. She's laying on the couch with a cool wash cloth folded over her eyes and forehead in attempt to calm her headache. Before I can ask him what he's so focused on, he hustles over to her. Without moving the wash cloth, he leans down and kisses her cheek. She moves the cloth to find Edward's face in hers. Both curiosity and a little concern make me move closer to hear what they were saying.

"I love you." Edward says. Esme looks confused.

"I love you too, Edward." She tells him. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm going to see my parents."

"Okay, honey. Do you want me to drive you? It's too cold for you to walk."

"Carlisle is taking me. I just wanted you to know I love you. I haven't told you that in a while." He says sweetly.

"I love you too."

Edward stands and walks right past me as he pulls his coat on. He doesn't say a word when he walks out the door. Esme and I exchange questioning looks.

I follow him out. He's already in the car waiting for me. I get in the drivers seat and as we pull out of the driveway, I ask him if he's ready to talk. He tells me no, that he still has thinking to do. So we stay silent, even when we pull into cemetery. Senior and Elizabeth are buried in the back of the cemetery, in the corner about fifteen feet from an oak tree. I pull up, and before I can even put the car in park, Edward opens the door and jumps out. He goes straight to the grave markers and sits in front of them. I join him, but stay standing and gently rub his shoulders.

After about five minutes, all spent quietly, Edward turns to look me in the eyes.

"You don't have to stay out here. You can wait in the car if you want."

I get the hint, tell him to take as much time as he needs and return to the car. I lean my head back, close my eyes and try to escape the stress that today has brought.

* * *

"Wake up!" Edward shouts as he shakes my shoulder. I jolt awake, startled and concerned. Edward watches me with scared eyes. "You scared me, Uncle Carlisle. You weren't waking up."

"Well I'm up now." I mumble and check my watch. We've been here for over forty minutes. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Yes."

"Okay." I yawn.

"And, um, I think I'm ready for that talk."

 **Review and tell me what you think or any predictions you may have!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Any of those behaviors will get you a spanking. Do you understand?"

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" Edward mumbles and sinks down in the kitchen chair.

"What seems harsh to you?" I ask calmly.

"Well," he pauses and ribs the back of his neck. "I mean, sometimes it's not my fault when I don't come straight home from school."

"It's not?"

"Sometimes I get caught up, or my friends and I decide to go get a soda."

"Our house is on the same road that you walk to get to the diner from school. Just stop in and tell us that your plans."

"And if I have to stay after school?"

"The only reason I can think of that would hold you after school is if you got in trouble during class and had to stay for a paddling, which as I stated before, is grounds for a spanking that evening."

"And that's another thing! It's not fair for me to be punished twice!"

"If you don't want to be punished twice, then don't get in trouble at school."

"That's so stupid." He mumbles under his breath.

"Back talk will get you punished, Edward." I warn.

"Oh yeah?" He raises one eyebrow, stands from his chair and starts to walk away. I sigh heavily, disappointed that his attitude has resurfaced. Before he rounds the corner down the hall, he hesitates and looks at me over his shoulder. If he wants to test his new limits, then he'll realize just how serious I am about these rules. I catch up with him before he reaches his room and clasp his shoulder.

"I'll give you one more chance to go back to the table and stop the back talk." I say.

For a quick second, the smirk I saw on his face the day he got a milkshake instead of a whooping appears. He still doesn't take me seriously.

"Or you'll do what?"

"We just talked about this, Edward. I'll bust your butt."

"Yeah, right." Edward laughs. He laughs right in my face.

Before he can open his bedroom door himself, I fling it open and pull him in. He stops laughing when I put my foot on his desk chair and bend him over my leg. With one hand around his waste to hold him steady, I start giving his rear end some sharp smacks. Edward tried to wiggle out of my arms, but I keep my arms firm. About ten swats in, he starts apologizing.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

"We both know what you're doing here, Edward, and you meant to do it." I say. He keeps wiggling.

"No, I really didn't mean it!"

"Don't give me that, Edward Anthony. You acted up, so now you have to face the consequences."

That surprisingly makes him quiet down. He still whimpers and wiggles, but I can't complain about that. He is getting his ass smacked. So I only deliver ten or fifteen more before returning him to his feet. He sniffs and gives me his typical big-eyed look. I grab him in a hug and let him clench his fingers against my back. He wipes his face on my shirt.

"Are you ready to return to our conversation?" I ask. He nods, so I put my hand on his shoulder and lead him back to the kitchen. I even pull his seat out for him. Those big eyes look at me with all the pitifully sadness he could muster.

"Can't I stand?" He asks.

"If you can speak respectfully, then yes."

"I will."

I repeat the rules, just to make sure he understands it all. He nods, but doesn't speak. I tell him that acting up will get his tail whooped. He nods again. I ask him if theirs anything he has questions about or wants to say. He shrugs.

"Are you going to, you know," He murmurs and shrugs.

"What are you saying, Edward?"

"Are you going to bust my butt every time I mess up?" He asks with unease.

"Not every time."

"Okay." He lets out a sigh and nods.

"Any other questions?"

"No."

"Then go to your room. Make sure you understand what I just told you. If you have a question, call for me."

"I gotta stay there?" He asks, his nose scrunched up in disgust.

"Just for tonight, buddy." I chuckle and pat his shoulder.

"Could we maybe get a milkshake first?" He says and gives me a little smile. I shake my head no, turn him around and send him to his room.

* * *

"Is this sending him the wrong message?" I ask as I stir a milkshake with a spoon.

"He's already been punished, honey. Just take him the milkshake." Esme laughs. "Goodness, Carlisle. First you won't punish the boy. Now you're questioning whether or not to take him a treat."

I smile and shake my head before leaving the kitchen and going to Edward's room. I knock on his door, and when he opened it and saw the milkshake in my hand, his eyes light up, and he said something he hasn't told me in years.

"You're the best, Uncle Carlisle!"


	8. Chapter 8

"I miss them. A lot." Edward sighs as we stroll through the yard. He kicks a stone along our path. "No one else in school is being raised by their aunt and uncle."

"I understand how difficult this has to be for you. I know I was completely lost when I heard Senior and Elizabeth past. I was so worried about tell you. You were their world."

Edward just nods and keeps kicking the stone. We walk right on the edge of the woods and the yard to keep from being attacked by mosquitoes. We walk a little farther and he keeps quiet. I watch the way he twists his face, scrunches his brow, bites his lip, and I can't help but notice how much he looks like Edward Senior.

"I did take great comfort in knowing that Esme and I were your guardians. You are so much like your father." I tell him. I expect a smile, but he just frowns.

"Would my Dad be ashamed of me?" He asks. I don't hesitate in answering.

"In you? Absolutely not. You are everything he wanted in a son. Smart, inquisitive, creative. He was so proud of you as a child and I know he would be extremely proud of you as the young man you are." I tell him.

"But he wouldn't like my behavior." Edward whispers.

"No, he wouldn't." I answer honestly. "Some of the things you have done are nothing to be proud of. But as I told you before, you can change your behavior."

"I'm trying. I did a lot of thinking last night and I realize that Esme was right. I've been a screw up lately. But I'm trying to be better." He responds slowly. He doesn't take his eyes off the ground. "I want to get along with you and Aunt Esme."

"I want us all to get along, too. But I understand that it's not going to happen over night. Your behavior has turned into a habit now, and I have to take a large portion of the blame for that." I admit. "I should have enforced the rules from day one. You needed structure, and failed to give that to you. But I will do whatever I need to in order to get you on the right track."

"Thanks," He mumbles.

"Hey, look at me." I tell him. He glances up at me through his eyelashes. I wrap my arm around his shoulder and pull him into my side. "I love you, Junior."

"I love you too, Carlisle."

 **Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

I flip though the daily newspaper and sip on my warm cup of coffee as Esme and I enjoy the quiet afternoon on the back patio. It's seems like I never get a day off anymore, so I've taken advantage of this beautiful day.

"Edward will be home anytime now." Esme says, briefly looking up from her book.

"Good. Maybe I'll take him to the lake. We can fish."

"That would be good for the two of you. He's home alone with me so much. I'm sure he'll love the guy time."

I nod and mentally plan our afternoon. We could fish, we could play ball in the backyard, we could just chat on the patio. Maybe we'll even go get a sundae. He's done a lot of growing up in the last few days; he deserves a treat.

"Actually, look at the time." I sigh as I check my watch. "He should have been here at least ten minutes ago. I thought I made it clear that he needed to come straight home and let us know if he has plans."

"It is possible that class ran over." Esme points out. I nod.

"It is possible. I just hope he gets home soon. He's done so well these past few days."

We return to our reading, only to be interrupted five minutes later by the front door slamming. I peer though the open door to see Edward throwing his school bag across the hall.

"Edward! Come out here, buddy." I call. He throws his head back and groans before stomping through the house. Once he's outside, he stares at Esme and I with a bitter scowl and his arms crossed over his chest. "What's wrong, Junior?"

"Nothing's wrong." He grumbles.

"Then why the attitude?"

"I don't have an attitude!"

I raise a questioning brow at him. He scowls at the ground.

"Why are you late?" Esme asks.

"Because of my stupid teacher." Edward murmurs under his breath.

I sigh as I realize what most likely happened. He's late, he's mad, and he's blaming it on his teacher.

"Did you get paddled, Edward?"

"It was unjust! I didn't deserve it!" He yells, dropping his arms to his side and balling his fists. "It was Harris, not me!"

"Edward," I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose.

"You were doing so well, honey." Esme adds on sadly.

"It was Harris!"

"What did you do?" I ask.

"I already told you it was Harris, not me!"

"What could Harris have done that would have gotten you in trouble?"

"He cheated on our math test. He asked me the answers and when I told him to bug off Ms. Danielson thought I was helping him. So we had to stay after school." He explains. He waves his hands violently as he speaks. "I didn't cheat! It was him!"

"Did you tell her that you weren't giving him the answers?" Esme questions.

"She wouldn't even listen to me!"

"Did she look at your tests? If Harris was asking you for the answers and you didn't give them to him, he shouldn't have them on his paper." I add on.

"Like I said, she didn't listen. She just wrote our names on the board and whooped us both." He grumbles.

I look at Esme and sigh. Ms. Danielson sang Edward's praises at the last parent-teacher conference. She said she loved Edwards creative mind- similar to Edward Senior. Edward seemed to like her before this. I can't imagine she wouldn't let him state his case. And without looking at their answers, how could she know for sure if they were cheating? She's the most respected teacher in the area. It isn't like her to act in the way Edward is portraying.

"Go to your room." I tell him. His jaw hits the ground.

"I told you-"

"I know what you told me, now do what I told you!" I respond firmly. "Go to your room. I want to speak with Esme privately."

"I can't believe you! I didn't do anything wrong!" Edward huffs but stomps off. He slams the door shut and I look at my wife.

"What do you think?" I ask.

"I don't know. That doesn't sound like Ms. Danielson."

"I'm not sure if he's lying or not." I admit.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure yet."

* * *

"Edward," I say as I knock on his bedroom door. He doesn't answer, so I gently push the door open. I see Edward pacing back and forth. I lean against the door jam.

"Why don't you believe me?" Edward asks without missing a step.

"I never said I don't believe you, Junior. I just want you to tell me what happened one more time." I explain. He rolls his eyes and huffs.

"I told you already. Harris asked me to give him the answers to the history test and-"

"Stop right there." I say and hold up my hand. "Was it your history test or math test?"

Edward's eyes widen as I point out the inconsistency in his story. His neck slowly turns red and it creeps up to his cheeks.

"It, uh, it was my math test. We had a history test earlier this week." He stammers awkwardly. He watches his feet and rubs the back of his head.

"Really? Where is your history test, then?"

"I lost it."

"What grade did you get on it?"

"I don't remember."

"You don't remember? Edward, you've know your GPA since your first year of school. And wasn't it history that you were having trouble in?" I ask.

"I think it was a B." He answers quickly.

"I think you're lying to me." I say. He stops in his tracts. "Tell me what really happened."

He doesn't say anything for a few moments. I just wait where I am. Soon enough, he looks up at me with the saddest baby face he can muster.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Carlisle."

"Tell me what really happened." I repeat. He sighs.

"I didn't know the answers so I asked Harris. Ms. Danielson caught us." He whispers.

"So you cheated and lied?"

Edward looks down again and shrugs.

"Answer me, Edward."

"Yes." He murmurs.

I groan as completely disappointment washes over me.

He was doing so well.


	10. Chapter 10

"Why do you have to be so mean with that?" Edward murmurs as I hand his belt back to him. He bites his lip, holding back a few tears that threatened to fall.

"Edward, you are better than how you tend to behave. If you do this again, you could be kicked out of school."

"I'm not gonna do it again, I promise." He says whole heartedly.

"And why won't you?"

"It's not worth the whoopings."

"That is why I'm so 'mean' with this. It's so you learn to behave."

He grumbles something under his breath. I'm sure it's nothing nice, but I ignore it.

"You are to stay in your room and think over everything you've done today and the effects it has caused. In two hours I will come get you and we will go to my office and have a talk about-"

"That's not fair!" He exclaims, dropping his belt to the floor and balling his fists. "I've been punished twice already! You can't get me a third time!"

"What are you talking about, Junior?" I ask.

"I know what a 'talk' means. I'm not stupid! You're going to take my belt to me again!"

"Edward-"

"I ain't going with you!"

"You're not getting spanked again." I promise. He narrows his eyes at me. I shake my head and leave the room. "Two hours, Edward."

Esme raises here eyebrows as I come into the living room. I sigh and sink into the couch next to her.

"I heard him yelling."

"A misunderstanding. He thought he was getting punished again." I explained and put my arm around her shoulder. "I told him that in two hours I'm taking him to the office for a talk. I don't think he really understands the real consequences of lying."

"What do you mean?"

"I want him to know that he broke our trust, his teachers trust. And he threw his best friend under the bus. If I were Harris and found out he blamed me, I wouldn't want to be friends with him anymore. He could have destroyed the best friendship he has. I explain with a sigh. "And if he cheats again, they can throw him out of school. I don't think he really knows how much he risked today, and if he doesn't realize it now, this behavior will continue when he's an adult and isn't being punished at home anymore."

"And by that point, it will be too late." Esme says, understanding completely what my concern is. "If he doesn't develop good character now, he won't ever."

"Exactly."

* * *

"Edward, let's have that talk." I call through Edward's closed bedroom door.

"This isn't fair!"

"I've explained this already," I sigh. "Come on, buddy. This isn't a punishment."

I hear his feet hit the floor and stomp over to his door. He opens it and eyes me suspiciously.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Fine." He steps out of his room and starts to drag his feet down the hall, but I call to him before he gets too far.

"Grab your bible first, Junior."

"My bible?" He looks over his shoulder at me with a questioning stare.

"Yes. We have some reading to do."

* * *

"Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight. A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness."

I lean back in my desk chair and let my eyes leave the open pages of my own bible to watch Edward speak from his. I can't take my eyes off of him. The little boy that use to beg me to go play ball with him, who would pull me by my sleeve to the piano bench after he learned a new song. I was there when my brother taught him to throw a baseball, and I was the one to teach him to bat. Of course I always knew that he would grow older, but I didn't know time would go by so quickly.

He's not a little boy anymore. A young man sits before me. A young man who knows how to perfectly pronounce and enunciate the words from his bible, who can compose his own songs, and is as smart as a whip. Even with all his strengths, though, he still has a ways to go. He needs to learn respect, the value of hard work, and most importantly, the value of one's word. He may not need my approval on the technique of his baseball skills or the arrangement of notes he created, but he still needs me.

"So it's saying that those who lie are not looked upon fondly by God." Edward explains.

"Very good, Junior. Now go to Ephesian 6:1-2."

"I see what you're doing." He says with a sigh as he thrumbs carefully through the pages until finding what he was asked to find. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise."

"What am I doing, Junior?"

"All of these scriptures, they're about lying and respecting other. That's why you're making me read them."

I nod. He looks down at the worn bible. The brown leather cover has rounded, roughed up corners and some tattered pages. It belonged to Elizabeth before she got sick. She insisted that it be given to Edward.

"I understand, Uncle Carlisle. I won't lie again."

"Do you really understand, though?" I ask. He nods. "Edward, what do you think happens when you lie?"

"Umm," He pauses for a moment. "I get in trouble?"

"A little deeper than that, Junior."

He just shrugs.

"When I told you that we would have this talk and you thought I was lying to you, what did that make you think about me?"

"I thought you were pretty mean."

"What else?" I pry. I get another shrug. "Edward, do you trust me?"

"Yeah."

"If I would have busted your butt again, what would you have thought of me?"

"I'd think you're pretty mean."

"You're not getting my point, Junior." I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. "Would you have trusted me anymore?"

"No."

"Would you think I'm a good person?"

"I guess not."

"Would you have believed other things I tell you?"

"Probably not."

"So why should others trust you, why would they think you're a good person, and why would they believe other things you say?"

Edward pulls his brow together and looks down at his floor. He doesn't respond, and for a moment, I don't know if I got my point across and he's just taking it in, or if I just pissed him off and he's ready to blow.


	11. Chapter 11

"Is that you Carlisle?" Esme calls as I come into the house. I kick my shoes off and set them next to the door.

"Yes, dear." I call back with a sigh. I check my pocket watch. I've spent the past seventeen hours at the hospital. All I want to do is get to bed.

"Oh, good. I want to talk to you about Edward."

I groan. Why? Edward and I had a good talk yesterday. I thought he finally understood how his character is effected by his behavior. He took it so well. I thought I finally made a breakthrough with him. All those scriptures he read, all the connections I made. Did none of them sink in? What could he have gotten himself into in this short of time? I can't believe he would get in trouble at school again. But who knows with that boy.

"Edward!" I bellow his name. "Get in here!"

"Carlisle," Esme comes towards the front door, her brows raised questioningly.

"What did he do?" I demand. I can hear Edward's footsteps moving through the house. "I swear, that boy is going to keep getting his ass busted until he can behave!"

"I thought I _was_ behaving." Edward says harshly as he appears next to Esme. "I didn't do anything wrong! Tell him, Aunt Esme!"

"Carlisle, relax. Edward hasn't been anything but amazing." Esme says, putting a comforting hand on Edward's shoulder. Edward gives me a smug, but beaming smile. "He's been perfect today. That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh," I murmur. I can't help but feel embarrassed. But with his past record, could I really be blamed for thinking the worst?

"He mowed the lawn without being asked, he tidied around the house, and he has had a wonderful attitude." Esme lists with a smile. Edward rolls his shoulders back and puffs out his chest.

"See? I've been great."

I'm able to force a small smile through my tiredness.

"Isn't there something you wanna say?" Edward asks, raising his brow in the same way Esme did.

"Sorry, Junior." I sigh and rub my eyes. "Listen, buddy, I've been up for about twenty-six hours. I'm exhausted. I need to get to bed."

Edward's face falls ever so slightly. I can't imagine what in the world he expects out of me. A standing ovation?

I shake my head. I'm not being fair. This is a big step for him.

"But you're doing great. Let's talk about it after I get some shut eye." I suggest and pat his other shoulder. He smiles again as I leave.

I reach my room and don't even bother changing out of my clothes into some pajamas. I just collapse onto the bed. It only takes a second for me to feel sleep pulling me in, but I'm pulled right back into reality when the door opens and shuts again. I let out a loud groan.

"It's just me," Esme says sweetly. She crawls on the bed and pats my back. "Roll over."

I do what she says, all while keeping my eyes closed. She undoes my tie, unbuckles my belt.

"Not now, Esme. I'm dead on my feet."

"Dirty mind, Dr. Cullen." She says with a chuckle. "You'll be more comfortable if you undress. Edward is really excited to chat with you. I think he was expecting a bigger reaction, though."

"I'm too tired right now,"

"I just want to let you know that he's hoping for some kind of reward. And I for one, think he really deserves one."

I clench my teeth and pray that this conversation is kept short as she unbuttons my shirt.

"If you could just take some time to think about what you're going to say to him." She suggests. "Stand up, dear. I'll get a set of pajamas out for you."

"Esme, please-"

"You will sleep better if you're comfortable." She insists.

I stand, shrug out of my pants and let my button-up follow. Esme digs through my dresser before handing a pair of pajamas. She watches me as I pull them on and fall back down on the bed. She comes over and kisses my forehead.

"He's listening to you, Carlisle. Even when it doesn't seem like it. He's doing better. I love you."

I manage to whimper out a pathetic 'Love you' before I drift off.

 **Please review!**


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